The Gerety Awards has been redefining how the world of creativity revolves around the industry as it is judged entirely by female creative leaders. It offers a fresh benchmark for what truly resonates with audiences.
In this year’s ADFEST, Lucia Ongay, co-founder of the Gerety Awards, hosted “Conversations that Reshape Creativity,” a Gerety Talks panel discussion.
Lucia was joined by distinguished figures from the Asia Pacific who have also served as jury members of Gerety: Pannarai Juanroong, Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy Bangkok; Anna Fawcett, Executive Producer at Filmgraphics; and Shruthi Subramaniam, Executive Creative Director at BBDO India.
Embracing friction
The panel began by discussing the importance of embracing friction, noting that creative discussions do not need to be compromised. Oftentimes, productive disagreement and “fighting” to protect an idea can make the work better.
“In the early days of my career, a boss once said to me, ‘It doesn’t always have to make sense.’ I think that unlocks something because ideation doesn’t have to be smooth or compromised,” Shruti shared.
This perspective reframes creative friction as a necessary catalyst rather than a barrier. She explained that the fight to protect an idea is what pushes it toward excellence.
“It involves a lot of effort and disagreement as we fight to protect an idea and keep asking how to make it better. Ultimately, it has to work as problem-solving — that is the benchmark,” she added.
Beyond the industry echo chamber
Shruti warned against “safe” creativity that targets the wrong audience. She observes that agencies often find themselves writing for “LinkedIn audiences” or people in the industry rather than real people.
Going against the tide, she advocates for collective intuition and radical simplicity, as these are elements that cannot recreate true human emotions.
“AI cannot give us goosebumps. We can. If you have to feel the idea, you have to feel it,” Shruthi said.
It’s still human at the end of the day
Concluding the panel, the speakers noted that while technology like artificial intelligence is a fixture of the modern landscape, it should never be the starting point for inspiration. Anna stressed that the industry must combat the “fear factor” that leads to boring, safe work.
At the end of the day, the consensus was clear: creativity requires the patience to think, the bravery to disagree, and the humanity to trust one’s gut.
By embracing the “nonsense” and the struggle of the initial spark, creatives can move past mediocre execution toward work that truly resonates with its audience.
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of ADFEST 2026.
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